<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Week of Glory by shadowmaat</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30148212">A Week of Glory</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowmaat/pseuds/shadowmaat'>shadowmaat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Commander Cody Week (Star Wars), Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Injury, Politics, Racism, Sibling Bonding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:54:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,704</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30148212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowmaat/pseuds/shadowmaat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Commander Cody Week 2021! I'm focusing entirely on Cody and his relationships with people who aren't his General. And yes, the title is definitely a reference to the fanon idea that Cody was originally Kote, the Mando'a word for glory.</p><p>Day 1: BONDS (Cody bonding with his brothers)<br/>Day 2: ORIGINS (how Cody got his scar)<br/>Day 3: VALOR (wielding a lightsaber)<br/>Day 4: POST ORDER-66 (regrets)<br/>Day 5: REST &amp; RECOVERY (gifts, downtime)<br/>Day 6: AU (post war, no Order 66)<br/>Day 7: MISSING PERSPECTIVES (post-battle)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Bonds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cody hadn't expected to see any of his vode in the museum. Not that many of them weren't interested in expanding their cultural horizons, but when you're on a rare bit of leave, the Warshawski Science Museum wasn't likely to be anyone's first stop.</p>
<p>He might not have noticed even then if it hadn't been for a couple of civvies causing a scene.</p>
<p>"Does the Museum know you escaped from your exhibit?" A pale-skinned human with a shaved head shoved someone. The green twi'lek with him snorted a laugh.</p>
<p>"We should turn 'im in, Brel! 'S dangerous to let let a clone run loose, 'e could get 'urt!"</p>
<p>"Or hurt someone," Brel agreed. "Lotsa little kids around. It'd be a shame if something happened to 'em."</p>
<p>Cody was already arrowing towards them, all too aware that while the bullies were attracting attention, no one was moving to intervene.</p>
<p>"What, not gonna say anything to defend yourself?" Brel sneered. "So much for that 'fearless warriors' shit."</p>
<p>"Vod, there you are!" Cody plastered a fake smile on his face. "I've been looking everywhere!"</p>
<p>The two men turned, giving Cody his first look at the cornered vod. Purple shirt with a glitter design and baggy shorts. Matching tats down his arms. Not someone Cody recognized. Probably a recent batcher, and he looked alarmed at Cody’s approach, quickly signaling 'abort' behind his antagonizers' backs. As if that would stop him.</p>
<p>"Oh look, there's <em> two </em> of them!"</p>
<p>There was a glint in Brel's eyes that Cody recognized all too well; this man was spoiling for a fight. His companion had a matching look of scorn that melted into worry as he stared at Cody. No, at Cody's scar.</p>
<p>"There's a lot more than two of us, burc'ya." Cody kept his tone light and friendly.</p>
<p>"Yeah, that's kinda the prob- <em>what is it, Ven?"</em>Brel hissed as the twi'lek grabbed his arm and hissed something in his ear.</p>
<p>Cody was pretty sure he caught his own name being said and saw a flash of recognition on Brel's face. There was a long pause. He could almost see the gears turning in the thug's head as he weighed his odds, taking in the now openly watching crowd as well. The young trooper, meanwhile, was doing his best to melt into the wallpaper.</p>
<p>Brel's shoulders slumped, though his eyes continued to burn into Cody.</p>
<p>"Yeah. Lots more than two," Brel said. "And still worth nothing all together. C'mon, Ven, suddenly I’m sick of science projects."</p>
<p>He bumped hard against Cody's shoulder as they walked past, but Cody ignored it, closing the distance to the young trooper, who was still hunched in on himself.</p>
<p>"You okay, vod?" He reached out and paused. The trooper nodded vigorously and didn't move out of the way, so Cody rested a hand on his shoulder, pulling him a little closer.</p>
<p>"Still up for a tour, or have you had enough of science projects, too?" He gave the younger vod a lopsided grin.</p>
<p>A lifted shoulder, a head tilt, and a hesitant nod. No words, though. Which was fine.</p>
<p>"I'm Commander Cody, 212th," he said. "Though you probably knew that."</p>
<p>He'd learned that falling back on rules and social norms could do a lot to settle frazzled nerves. If a trooper was going through a bad time, have him make a pot of caf. Or recite one of those idiotic rhymes making the rounds of the holonet. Or just remind them of who and where they were.</p>
<p>The trooper lifted his hands and signed &lt;&lt;Jaws.&gt;&gt; After a pause, he added &lt;&lt;404th.&gt;&gt;</p>
<p><em> Ah. </em>Cody had heard about them after all. Surge Squad was all that was left of the 404th Battalion, KIA in the Battle of Geonosis at the start of the war. Some of the more superstitious troopers called them "Jinx Squad" given their ability to survive when no one around them did. Jaws was a recent addition and another "sole survivor," which only added to the Squad's reputation. He'd been rendered mute from the trauma, and only the intervention of Surge's General had saved him from decommissioning. </p>
<p>"Mind if I join you, Jaws?" </p>
<p>The younger trooper slanted a look at him, one eyebrow raised.</p>
<p>Cody arched one right back, stretching the skin around his scar. "I hear they have a new exhibit about Kote the Mythosaur."</p>
<p>Jaws snorted. &lt;&lt;Your namesake?&gt;&gt;</p>
<p>"Or maybe she's mine." </p>
<p>That earned him a huffed laugh. It was a good start. Who knew? By the end of the day, maybe they'd even stop for ice cream.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Origins (how Cody got his scar)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sometimes it's the little things that matter most of all.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was one of his first missions serving with General Kenobi, and Cody was beginning to think it would be his last. The battledroids had a significantly higher presence than intel had indicated, and while Rex and the 501st were on their way, it would still be a few days before they arrived. There probably wouldn't be much left of the city they were trying to defend by then.</p>
<p>At least most of the civvies had been evacuated, though there were still isolated pockets scattered through the buildings. Some were stubborn holdouts who refused to move even with armies warring on their doorsteps, but others were trapped by circumstance. The last caravan out had been bombed, so it was deemed unsafe to continue. It was another headache he really didn't need. He'd lost track of his General, who seemed to have trouble understanding simple Basic. "Stay with us, sir" seemed to translate to "charge ahead without any backup." The clones had been designed to be able to keep up with the Jedi, but there were limits. Especially when he started leaping whole city blocks. Cody had already put in a requisition for a jetpack, but that wouldn't help <em>now.</em></p>
<p>There was a lull in the shelling. Cody had sent a couple men ahead to try and track down their wayward General, but the rest of them were trying to catch a moment of rest. Three days without sleep had him blurry at the edges. He'd already scarfed down a stale ration bar and a bubble of water and now he was trying to take his own advice and nap.</p>
<p>A flash of color had him sitting upright, blaster pointed. Across the rubble-strewn remains of the four-lane street a small humanoid was walking. Unaccompanied. Occasionally they'd stop, bend down, and pick something off the ground before either pocketing it or dropping it back where they found it.</p>
<p>"Hey, kid," he said, raising his voice. "It's not safe here! Go home!"</p>
<p>The youngling looked up, spotted him, and waved. Cody's heart dropped into his boots as they started walking towards him, babbling in a language he couldn't understand.</p>
<p>"No!" He shot to his feet as other troopers clued into the problem. "Stop!" He waved his arms in a shooing gesture. "Go back!"</p>
<p>The youngling, who seemed to be coated in a fine pink fur, ignored him, still chattering as they pulled something out of their pocket to show him.</p>
<p>The whine of an incoming mortar sent ice through his veins. He didn't even remember moving. One minute he was behind a broken column of duracrete, the next he was scooping the kid into his arms and running for the shelter of the nearest building.</p>
<p>He didn't make it.</p>
<p>The ground dropped from under him and the world became a nightmare of noise, blinding light, and debris. He curled himself around the startled young Nuverian as they were hurled through the air. His back slammed into something and he heard something crack. Objects smashed into him like a monsoon made of rocks. He hit the ground, something smashed into his head and then the world skipped like a janky holovid.</p>
<p>He could hear screaming, high pitched enough to make his teeth hurt. Well, everything hurt. A flash of light in the darkness. Sliding. Being slid? Sobbing. Shouting. Another flash of color. Everything needed to stop spinning.</p>
<p>A face. More shouting. Arms being pried open. No! Protecting something! A face again. Softer voices. More crying. Something pinched his neck.</p>
<p>When he tried to open his eyes again, only one of them seemed to work. Just staring up at the- the ceiling, tent, made him dizzy.</p>
<p>"Commander. You awake now?" </p>
<p>The voice belonged to... Nudge. Their medic.</p>
<p>"Ngh," he said, wincing as the sound revealed his throat was parched. And wincing also brought another wave of pain, spiraling out from his left eye.</p>
<p>A bulb of water was pressed to his lips. He took a cautious sip and another.</p>
<p>"We've got you stabilized," Nudge said. "Wasn't sure we would after that stunt you pulled."</p>
<p>Cody tried to open his eye again. There was a question he needed to ask.</p>
<p>"Diia, that kid you saved, is gonna be fine. She's a little banged up and has a broken wrist, but she'll come through it fine. Her buir read her the riot act when she found us. Pretty sure that kid won't be seeing the outside of her apartment til the end of the war at the earliest."</p>
<p>Cody sighed. Right. Pink kid. The bomb.</p>
<p>"Waxer found General Kenobi and is dragging him back. No more fighting since that one mortar."</p>
<p>Something cool pressed against his face and he wrinkled his nose at the smell of bacta.</p>
<p>"You might need a dip in the tank when we get back to the Negotiator," Nudge continued, but we managed to save your eye. Gonna have a hell of a nice scar, though. I hear the civvies find those sexy, so maybe you'll finally stand a chance with someone."</p>
<p>Cody managed to flip him off and heard the medic's laugh before drifting back to sleep. He'd saved the kid. That's what mattered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Valor (Cody with a lightsaber)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Maybe lightsabers just really like Cody.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cody splashed through a puddle of something unpleasant and cursed himself for listening to Fox. But when the head of the Coruscant Guard said he had a lead on someone selling kidnapped clones on the black market, there was no way Cody wasn't going to help. He skidded around a corner in time to see his target enter a decaying building that seemed to be made of patches of other buildings. Kriff. He slowed down and felt his foot kick something that made a weirdly familiar clinking sound as it skittered across the ground. Something dark glinted in the stuttering neon of a sign advertising "NOODS." With a sinking feeling, he reached down to pick it up.</p>
<p>It was a lightsaber. Of <em>course</em> it was. Why did Kenobi preach about "this weapon is your life" when Jedi seemed to lose the damn things all the time? At least this one wasn't Kenobi's. Although its presence here in the lower levels, unaccompanied by its Jedi, felt ominous.</p>
<p>"I hope your General is staying out of trouble," he said, clipping it to his belt. It was longer than Kenobi's and covered in something dark and leather-like. He tapped his comm to signal Fox and his team so they'd know where he was and that their quarry had gone to ground. Pulling out his blaster, he approached the patchwork building, alert for any traps or danger. Something large and scaly lumbered through the alleyway across from him and he could hear off-tune singing from a drunk draped across a rancid armchair left on the street, but nothing jumped out at him, nothing blew up, and no one stopped him from entering the building.</p>
<p>Cody knew he should wait for Fox's team to arrive, but word was the latest batch of clones was being moved out tonight and one of those clones was Wooley. Like hell was Cody going to let some karking underworld scum make off with <em>any</em> of his vode, but Wooley was still recovering from their last mission-gone-sideways and he was afraid this might break him.</p>
<p>Sagging stairs led up, but something told him down was the way to go, so he eased his way down the half-collapsed hall which emptied out into a large, windowless room with a trapdoor in the floor. Everything about it screamed "trap," so he decided to trust his gut and wait. Chances were this was the only way in or out from whatever was below, so maybe he could reverse the trap and snipe whoever came out.</p>
<p>It was a fine plan, and it probably would have worked, but when he moved to take cover behind the large stacks of mildewing newsflimis, the floor groaned. That was all the warning he had before the boards collapsed, sending him and the flimsis tumbling below.</p>
<p>He was on his feet in an instant, blaster still clutched at the ready, but the cloud of dust and debris fouled his helmet's sensors and before they could recover he felt a large hand close around his own and crush it. He managed to get off one wild shot before he was wrenched sideways into- and partway through- a wall. He staggered, trying to keep his feet.</p>
<p>"If you wanted to be sold to new owners, clone," a high, fluting voice said, "all you had to do was ask!"</p>
<p>Cody reached for his reserve blaster, but was swung back in the other direction, tripping over the mountain of spilled newsflimsis. He went down, feeling a bone snap in his arm. He bit back a scream as he scrabbled at his belt for something, anything to stop his attacker. Looking up, he confirmed that it was Skuzz, the whiphid arms dealer who had a sideline in sentient trafficking.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, darling," Skuzz said. "There's always room for one more!"</p>
<p>The hand gripping his squeezed tighter. Bones crunched. His other hand latched onto a weapon and pulled it free. The lightsaber. <em>Don't think, feel,</em> a voice admonished in the back of his head. A frequent refrain in Kenobi's sparring lessons with his padawans.</p>
<p>Cody wasn't thinking, but he was definitely feeling a lot as he triggered the ignition on the mystery saber and sliced it through the air. It was a searing yellow blade, and Skuzz's bellow of surprise turned into a howl of rage and pain as the saber severed his arm, freeing Cody from his grasp. He staggered backwards, regaining his feet as he held the saber in front of him. His right arm hung useless at his side, throbbing in time with his wild heartbeat. He'd held sabers before, even activated them, but using one in combat?</p>
<p>"You huchaspu little charkee droi!" Skuzz pulled a stun-stick from the holster on his back and lunged at Cody, energy crackling at the end of the stick.</p>
<p>Cody danced back, swinging the saber again. It deflected the stick, but didn't shear it in half.</p>
<p>"I'll kill you and wear your skin as a kilt!" Roaring, Skuzz struck again.</p>
<p>Cody parried a second time and managed to score a glancing blow to the whiphid's remaining arm. Or at least the fur covering it. There was an explosion behind Skuzz, who turned to confront the new threat, giving Cody time to jab the saber through the back of his knee. The slaver went down in a screaming heap, leaving Cody to face a blue-skinned nautolan in partial armor wielding two blasters.</p>
<p>"You must be Commander Cody." The nautolan grinned at him, holstering her weapons. "I'm Knight Issa Mar, and I see that in addition to capturing our friend Skuzz here, you managed to have found my wayward lightsaber. Nicely done, Commander!"</p>
<p>Beyond her he could hear clones shouting, some in relief, some with orders, and the sound of shackles hitting the floor.</p>
<p>"Fox sent you?" Cody frowned; adrenaline was making him stupid.</p>
<p>"He did." Her smile was blinding. Was that a nautolan thing? He'd noticed a similar trait with General Fisto.</p>
<p>"He should be along in a minute to yell at you for, and I quote, 'taking after your damn fool Jedi'." She knelt, trussing up the mostly-unconscious Skuzz. "How badly are you hurt? Will you need help getting out of here?"</p>
<p>"I'll get checked out back at the barracks." He realized he still had her activated saber in his hand and disengaged it, blushing. "I think you said this was yours?"</p>
<p>The saber left his hand and floated over to hers.</p>
<p>"Thank you for taking good care of it." She stood, hauling the much larger whiphid with her as if he weighed nothing. "If I didn't know better I'd say it released itself from my belt in order for you to find it."</p>
<p>Cody stared at her. "Is... is that something that can happen?"</p>
<p>"Anything's possible with the Force," she said. "Oh look, it's Fox. I should go check on my squad! Bye, Commanders!" She brushed past Fox, dragging her prisoner along.</p>
<p>Fox stood in the doorway, so rigid he practically vibrated. Cody sighed. This was going to be a long night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"You huchaspu little charkee droi" is mixed Hutteese for "you disgusting little meat droid"</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Post Order-66 (regrets)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cody isn't mad, just disappointed. (Well, he's mad, too, in the end.)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: mentions of suicide</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Even from where he stood Cody could see Kenobi struggling to maintain his grip on his newly-acquired varactyl mount. Smiling, he put his helmet back on, thinking about how much had changed over the past three years... and how much hadn't. After a few initial screwups, he and Kenobi had found their rhythm working together, both on and off the battlefield. But the General's tendency towards grandstanding theatrics had, if anything, only gotten worse, and nothing Cody did could change that. Shaking his head he glanced down to see a light blinking on his gauntlet. A priority-red emergency? He tapped to receive it and a flickering hologram of Chancellor Palpatine appeared, which was decidedly odd, given the man's dislike of the clones.</p><p>"Commander Cody," Palpatine said. "The time has come. Execute Order 66."</p><p>CC-2224 knew he acknowledged his Lordship's order. Knew he forwarded it to all the troops. But all he could feel was grief. His General was a traitor? All the Jedi were traitors? Lord Sidious had said so and so it must be true, but the knowledge burned to his core.</p><p>"Blast him!" He ordered, signaling the cannon to fire at their former General. He watched Kenobi and his ridiculous mount fall off the cliffside with something close to grim satisfaction. He knew he should send someone to check and make sure the man was actually dead this time (he'd survived so many other impossible scenarios), but something in him rebelled. He didn't want to confront the reality of what happened. The betrayal of everything he'd believed. Tears burned in his eyes as he looked back on three years of friendship and recognized it all as a lie. He had more important things to do than worry over the disposal of one man. One traitor to the Empire among many more that needed to be struck down. He ordered his men to break camp and swallowed back the nausea of knowing he'd failed. He should have seen this coming, should have known that Kenobi and the others were only pretending to care. Why hadn't he noticed? Why hadn't <em>any</em> of them noticed? Pong Krell should have been the wake-up call and yet he'd still thought <em>not MY General.</em> Now, here they were. Yes, his General. Yes, <em>all</em> the Generals. He could only hope they weren't too late to save the Empire.</p>
<hr/><p>CC-2224 was a good soldier. He followed orders. But if there was one <em>good</em> lesson he'd learned from the traitorous Jedi, it was that orders could be... flexible. He had no problem taking down the Masters and Knights; they knew full well what they'd done and justice had to be served. But the Padawans? The Initiates? They were just Cadets. It wasn't their fault that the adults in charge of their care and training had been grooming them for a darker purpose. They were just as much victims as 2224 and the other clones. So whenever he was confronted with a shivering, wide-eyed Padawan- with or without a group of Initiates cowering behind them- he did his best to make sure he was alone when it happened, so he could let them off with a warning.</p><p>"You should reconsider your choices," he told the young Tholothian girl. Her blue lightsaber trembled as she maintained her "Ready" stance in front of a group of sobbing younglings. "The Jedi taught you lies, but it isn't too late for you to turn your back on them."</p><p>The girl frowned at him. "The Jedi are- were- my family," she snapped. "Until you killed them!"</p><p>"They were traitors." 2224 shrugged. "They know what they did." </p><p>He wasn't entirely sure what, exactly, they'd done. Every time he tried to think about it his thoughts seemed to slide sideways. But not knowing the specifics didn't mean the Jedi hadn't betrayed everyone.</p><p>"What we did was <em>help</em> people," the Tholothian insisted. "We helped the Republic! We helped <em>you!</em> How could you just turn on us like that?"</p><p>2224 snorted. "Helped yourselves, maybe. Played along at being heroes, at being <em>friends,</em> even as you sent us out to die."</p><p>"That's not true!" The Tholothian stamped her foot, headfrills shaking. "You're Commander Cody, aren't you? Master Kenobi-"</p><p>"Is dead." 2224 ignored the stab of pain that went through his chest at the use of his old name, at the reminder of what he'd been. "And you will be, too, if you don't leave right now. My squad is natborns, and they won't go for a clean kill like I would."</p><p>The girl glared at him, but turned and started herding the younglings back into the forest. There was a cave system nearby that his team had already cleared, and she looked to be heading in that direction. Good. He turned, heading back to his natborn squad and trying to ignore the memories these sort of encounters always stirred up. It wasn't productive, and if <em>he</em> wasn't productive he'd wind up dead, like so many of his- his fellow clones. </p>
<hr/><p>It happened in pieces, memories resurfacing like bubbles from the depths. 2224 found himself questioning some of his orders- not out loud, but in the safety of his mind- and realized that something was a little off. He'd been hearing stories of his fellow clones, his vode, having "blaster accidents," which is what they called suicide. It would have been bad for morale if they'd implied that their stormtroopers- even the surviving clones- were killing themselves, so it was always a "blaster accident" or a "rebel ambush." </p><p>The day finally came when he couldn't ignore it any longer: he'd been tricked. The vode had been collectively mind tricked, somehow, into believing the Jedi were the enemy. He, Cody, could remember talk of chips in their head before the war had ended, but he'd never had time to look into it. Another in a long list of regrets that were stacking up. He should have listened. He should have paid more attention. He should have done something. Instead he'd allowed them all to be tricked into killing the Jedi. Their Generals and Commanders. Their friends, and in some cases lovers.</p><p>Cody could wallow in the guilt of it all, but mostly what he felt was rage. This had been done to them without their knowledge or permission. Someone- and he knew damn well who even if he wasn't sure how- had turned them into the meat droids that their detractors had always accused him of being. Oh, sure, they were still able to think and feel, but an essential part of who they'd been had been scooped out. Or at least buried under layers of bullshit.</p><p>There was no way he'd ever be able to get close enough to the Emperor to kill him, and he couldn't do much for the Rebellion now that he'd been banished to Kamino, but at the very least he could protect his remaining vode. And he knew they needed protecting; the natborns swarming the facility weren't exactly being subtle about what was being planned. In the past he'd have ignored them, but now that he was free of whatever sorcery had been at work in his head, he listened, understood, and prepared.</p><p>When the attack came, he was ready. The natborns might like to make fun of the clones, but they'd been bred to be the perfect soldiers. They were stronger, faster, and durable; fully capable of keeping up with their Jedi Generals. They might be older and superfluous to the Empire, but they still knew how to fight. Cody, Sinker, and the final batch of shinies managed to kill their attackers and staged the scene to make it look like both sides had been wiped out.</p><p>It was tempting to steal a ship and head straight for the Death Star to confront Palpatine. They heard rumors that Kenobi had resurfaced, alive, only to be cut down in a duel against Vader. Cody was glad that his cockroach of a General had managed to survive Utapau after all, and he was sorry he hadn't been there to help in Kenobi's last stand, but he had other people to think about, now. Sinker was in contact with Commander Wolffe, who knew how to get in touch with Rex and his rebel friends, so they sent him everything they could scrape from the Kamino archives, which helpfully included hidden base locations and troop movements. Cody grinned at the thought of dropping one last mess in his favorite vod's lap and wished him all the best. </p><p>Cody got the last of the clone troopers loaded onto a transport and headed them into the Unknown Regions. Whatever else happened, he'd make sure his men survived.</p><p>No regrets.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Rest & Recovery (downtime, gifts)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A day off with Fox. Really, this time.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>With many thanks to Effin' Birds for their glorious collection of phrases.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Just take the damn mug, Fox." Cody shoved it at his vod, who glared before accepting it.</p>
<p>It was plain white with an inked version of some kind of dark-feathered bird Cody thought might be a crow. Or an ash angel. The text beside it proclaimed "I am a godsdamn delight."</p>
<p>"Kriff you," Fox said. "I <em>am</em> a godsdamn delight, not that anyone around here appreciates it." He placed the mug on his datapad-strewn desk.</p>
<p>"Hence the mug, di'kut." Cody grinned as Fox flipped him off.</p>
<p>"So what's this really about?" The Guard Commander asked. "Is this you trying to make up for almost getting yourself killed last time?"</p>
<p>"I wasn't almost killed." Cody dropped into a battered chair that creaked ominously under his weight. "And I'm just here to check in with my favorite vod."</p>
<p>"Banthashit." Fox crossed his arms over his armored chest. "Everyone knows Rex is your favorite."</p>
<p>His tone was scornful, but Cody caught the ghost of a smile crossing his face. Score. Maybe this would work after all.</p>
<p>"Rex is my public favorite, you're my private one," he joked.</p>
<p>"I'm a Commander, not a Private."</p>
<p>"Whatever," he said, rolling his eyes at the terrible joke. "Anyway, I'm here and I have some time off before the meeting with the High Generals, so I thought I'd come and hang out."</p>
<p>"Come and bother me, you mean." There was no heat behind Fox's words. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm working."</p>
<p>"According to Thorn it's your day off." Cody smirked.</p>
<p>"That traitor," Fox muttered. "He's wrong. I have paperwork."</p>
<p>They lapsed into silence, but Cody was an old hand at this and waited him out. Eventually Fox heaved a sigh and stood.</p>
<p>"Okay, fine. But only for a few hours."</p>
<p>Thorn flashed a thumbs-up as they left, which Fox blatantly ignored.</p>
<p>It was a pretty good day as far as Coruscant weather went. This close to the Senate building got some actual sunlight and more of an effort was made to keep everything looking tidy, if not exactly clean. They hit some of their usual stops, such as the caf shop (of course) and the book stall, then Fox detoured down a narrow alley and into a part of Coruscant that seemed unfamiliar to Cody.</p>
<p>"Where are we going?" He asked.</p>
<p>Fox, of course, declined to answer, weaving through pedestrians to a building with a large glass dome. The sign over the door read "Supreme Chancellor Fillorean Botanical Garden."</p>
<p>Cody didn't recognize the name, but as the door whooshed open at their approach it released a gust of rich, clean air. He took a deep breath and smiled.</p>
<p>"Is this your way of saying 'sorry for yelling at you after you almost got killed,' Fox?"</p>
<p>"So you admit it." Fox showed his credentials to the guard, who waved them in. "I found this place a while back on a hunt. Figured you might appreciate it."</p>
<p>They stepped through the inner doors into a garden. There were bursts of color amid all the green, and Cody inhaled, his smile expanding into a grin.</p>
<p>"I knew there was a reason you were my favorite," he said.</p>
<p>"Kriff you." Fox cuffed his shoulder and started walking. "Come on, let me give you the tour."</p>
<p>His vod was able to identify every plant, flower, and bird that they saw. It occurred to Cody as they walked that this place was special to Fox, and the fact that his prickly vod had chosen to share it with him made the occasion even more special. He could feel the stress and tension draining out of him the longer they stayed, and could see it had a similar effect on Fox. When was the last time he'd seen the man genuinely smile? </p>
<p>They found a secluded spot in the Alderaanian section under a drape of starflowers and sat, trading grievances and bickering back and forth. The sun beamed down and an artificial breeze stirred the leaves and before long he felt a weight on his shoulder and looked over to see Fox, sound asleep. He smiled. As far as gifts went, this one was pretty great.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. AU (post-war, no Order 66)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Everyone always assumed that after the war the clones would finally get their rights. Well, you know what they say about people who assume...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The war was over, but another one was already brewing.</p><p>The celebrations lasted for over a month, but the Senate was already moving at an astonishing speed in order to distance themselves from anything to do with the late Chancellor Palpatine. His closest allies retained their seats, loudly proclaiming their innocence, and while a lot of the laws and measures Palpatine had brought into being during his reign were "under investigation" it was unlikely that anything would actually change.</p><p>That included keeping the clones listed as property rather than people.</p><p>Oh, there was plenty of discussion about it as the months dragged on, but it became clearer and clearer that while some in the Senate supported the Clone Rights Act, many more opposed it. A few even voiced the opinion that since the clone army had served its purpose and rendered themselves superfluous, they should all be decommissioned. Thankfully those senators were in the minority, but the larger and louder group seemed to believe the army should be kept on standby, just in case of any additional threats.</p><p>The whole thing gave Cody a headache. </p><p>He found himself being pushed to the front of the discussions, forced to act as a representative for the vode. He fought it tooth and nail, but he was still the highest-ranking clone in the GAR and his reputation proved to be unavoidable. So he talked and argued and debated and talked some more and all of it went nowhere.</p><p>One year after the war ended, on a day ironically dubbed "Freedom Day," the Senate, with Chancellor Iblis presiding, handed down their final decision: the clone army was indebted to the Republic and would continue to serve them in whatever capacity the Senate saw fit until such time as they changed their minds.</p><p>Cody clenched his jaw. "I understand," he said. "Let the record show that whatever happens next was the choice of the Senate."</p><p>Ignoring the outraged mutterings around him he lifted his gauntlet, the only piece of armor he was allowed to wear in the Rotunda, and spoke a single word. "Cuyanir."</p><p>Turning, he marched out, letting the shouted demands for an explanation wash over him. Rex was waiting outside the doors, grim-faced but ready.</p><p>"Sorry, Ori'vod," he said. "You tried."</p><p>Cody shook his head as the two of them marched for the Guard offices. "We knew this was the most likely outcome." </p><p>They had hoped for something better, but three years of war and another of prevarication had taught them plenty. They were ready for this.</p><p>The holonews was already running with the story, the 'casters translating the Mando'a word he'd spoken as "survive." No one knew what it meant, but theories flew, each more grim and fantastical than the last.</p><p>The meeting with the Senate had happened early in the morning. By afternoon, when nothing had changed, some of the speculation began to turn scornful. One 'caster for HNN even accused Cody of staging a hoax and called for his arrest.</p><p>At 15:11 CST, the precise time Palpatine had been killed by General Windu, every clone on Coruscant stopped what they were doing and walked away. They ignored questions, ignored orders, sidestepped any attempts to stop them, and left. Anyone who became aggressive in stopping them found themselves subjected to a stun charge and left behind.</p><p>The Senate was screaming. The news media was screaming. The Jedi were largely silent. They'd supported their troopers throughout this ordeal, but the Senate had made it clear that interference in this matter wasn't allowed and so the Jedi bowed and left, returning to the long, slow job of trying to repair the galaxy. Which didn't mean they weren't still helping their troopers, of course. Kenobi had helped Cody polish up some of his speeches and pointed out the flaws in his arguments. Master Nu had her archivists poring over legal histories to exploit loopholes. Knight Mar had been smuggling troopers to safety during the war and had stepped up her operations afterward while the Council turned a blind eye to her actions.</p><p>As usual, however, the majority of the fighting was left to the clones. Those who could get offworld before Freedom Day did, while others disappeared into the lower levels. If there were troopers in the red-marked armor of the Coruscant Guard assisting in those cases, no one who mattered said anything about it. The Guard disappeared right along with the other vode. The only item remaining on Commander Fox's desk was a chipped mug with a cartoonish fox face on it and the words "Look at all the Fox I give."</p><p>Demands for Cody's presence became increasingly frantic as afternoon turned into night and it became clear that not a single trooper was left. Calls to the Commander's comm returned an error message. Hours later broken bits of it were found on the floor outside the Senate Chamber. The chips, the "secret" ones that were supposed to control the clones and also provide a means of tracking them, signaled that all of them were in the Chamber itself. It took hours of investigation to discover that the chips, removed and sanitized, had been scattered throughout the Chamber.</p><p>A livid Chancellor Iblis contacted the Jedi only to be informed that, since the dispensation of the clones had nothing to do with the Jedi, then they clearly couldn't know what had happened to them. The press was having a field day with the spectacle of it all.</p><p>Months later there was still no sign of any of the clones. Every ship leaving Coruscant was checked, and every ship contained exactly 0 stowaway clones.</p><p>Meanwhile, on a quiet world in Wild Space, Cody tapped his beer bottle against Rex's as they celebrated the completion of the first part of their plan. With luck, the former Grand Army of the Republic would be able to live out their days without any more interference from their old masters. But if the Republic ever showed up looking for a fight, Cody and his men were more than willing to deliver.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Missing Perspectives (post-battle)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cody checks in with his men after a hard battle.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn't the worst battle they'd seen, not by a long shot. There'd only been two casualties, and Cody was already mentally writing letters to their batchmates as he made his way into Medical.</p>
<p>Nudge was running himself and his team ragged. While they'd only lost two troopers, nearly everyone on the ground had sustained some kind of injury, including Cody himself. Broken hand from a bad punch to a droid; nothing new. Nudge glanced up, cussed a blue streak at him, and went back to stitching up Porg's shoulder. Porg flashed a quick sign at him with his good hand and Cody signed back. </p>
<p>
  <em>All good?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Very good.</em>
</p>
<p>He moved among the cots and chairs, checking in with everyone. Exhaustion was the mood of the hour, but as bone-weary as it was, it was sparked through with relief. They'd managed to beat back the tide of clankers and saved the base from being overrun. Saved the troopers stationed there, too, which was a much bigger win in his book.</p>
<p>He got Crys a glass of water, held Waxer's hand as Patch extracted a piece of shrapnel from his ribs, and reassured 77 that he'd earned his paint. Nipper sassed him about his broken hand and he sassed right back, given that the younger clone had managed to break his leg in three places. Nipper tried to formulate a comeback that turned into a wandering list of every every perceived fault Cody had.</p>
<p>"...An' your scar is dumb, too. Should be shaped like a C for... for..."</p>
<p>"Cody?" Cody suggested.</p>
<p>"Caf," Nipper declared, yawning. "Could really use some."</p>
<p>He laughed. From what he could tell of the readouts, the trooper was high as a kite on painkillers, which was probably one of the reasons he'd also complained about Cody's accent.</p>
<p>"Get some sleep," he said. "We'll see if the medics will let you have caf in the morning."</p>
<p>"Yessir," Nipper slurred. "Yer a Force-damn blessing..." He trailed off into a faint snore.</p>
<p>Cody patted his curls down and headed for the next trooper. And the next. Someone shoved a tray of rehydrated dinner at him and as he sat down to eat he wasn't surprised to see Nudge pull up across from him, bacta and bandages in hand.</p>
<p>"You know, we have these things called <em>blasters,</em> Commander. Dunno if you've heard of them."</p>
<p>Cody made an inquisitive sound around a mouthful of... beef? Nerf? Noodles &amp; cheese?</p>
<p>"I'll have to introduce you to them sometime," Nudge said, cutting off Cody's glove and rinsing down his hand with sterile solution. "Much more efficient than punching things."</p>
<p>"Not as much fun, though." Cody grinned.</p>
<p>Nudge scoffed. "Sometimes I think you do this shit just to make my life difficult."</p>
<p>"Someone needs to keep you on your toes." He winced as Nudge jabbed the syringe into his hand with a little more force than necessary, icy numbness spreading out as the bacta did its job.</p>
<p>"Whole damn war is keeping me on my toes," the medic complained. "You could try making things easier for me, for once."</p>
<p>"Sorry, Nudge," Cody said, and meant it. "I can't promise to stop punching droids, but I'll at least try and do it more efficiently."</p>
<p>"That's all I ask." Nudge flashed him a smile and started in on the bandages. "Well, that and making sure you come to me when you do get hurt, but you do a pretty good job of that already."</p>
<p>Cody nodded, stifling a yawn. It really had been a long couple of days. "If I ignore an injury, the troops think it's okay for them to ignore injuries, too, and then people are keeling over in the halls."</p>
<p>He'd seen that kind of thing happen back on Kamino and took the lesson to heart.</p>
<p>"Plus it's a good excuse to stop in and check on everyone. Including you." This time he couldn't stop the yawn.</p>
<p>"Aw, you really do love us." Nudge sealed the bandage with tape decorated with little tookas.</p>
<p>Cody tried to come up with a reply, but words kept drifting away. He frowned.</p>
<p>"You drugged me," he accused.</p>
<p>Nudge's grin was unrepentant. "Yes, sir. You might be good at staying well rested, but not when there's injured troops about. Leave the mother henning to us and get some sleep." He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Cody's. "That's an order."</p>
<p>Cody's eyes slipped shut. He'd have to remember to bitch about it in... in... Thoughts slid away and he slept. As ordered.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>